第18章 英文版 (8) 文 / 歐內斯特·海明威

    Thenhelookedbehindhimandsawthatnolandwasvisible.Thatmakesnodifference,hethought.IcanalwayscomeinontheglowfromHavana.Therearetwomorehoursbeforethesunsetsandmaybehewillcomeupbeforethat.Ifhedoesn』tmaybehewillcomeupwiththemoon.Ifhedoesnotdothatmaybehewillcomeupwiththesunrise.IhavenocrampsandIfeelstrong.Itishethathasthehookinhismouth.Butwhatafishtopulllikethat.Hemusthavehismouthshuttightonthewire.IwishIcouldseehim.IwishIcouldseehimonlyoncetoknowwhatIhaveagainstme.

    Thefishneverchangedhiscoursenorhisdirectionallthatnightasfarasthemancouldtellfromwatchingthestars.Itwascoldafterthesunwentdownandtheoldman』ssweatdriedcoldonhisbackandhisarmsandhisoldlegs.Duringthedayhehadtakenthesackthatcoveredthebaitboxandspreaditinthesuntodry.Afterthesunwentdownhetieditaroundhisnecksothatithungdownoverhisbackandhecautiouslyworkeditdownunderthelinethatwasacrosshisshouldersnow.Thesackcushionedthelineandhehadfoundawayofleaningforwardagainstthebowsothathewasalmostcomfortable.Thepositionactuallywasonlysomewhatlessintolerable;buthethoughtofitasalmostcomfortable.

    Icandonothingforhimandhecandonothingforme,hethought.Notaslongashekeepsthisup.

    Oncehestoodupandurinatedoverthesideoftheskiffandlookedatthestarsandcheckedhiscourse.Thelineshowedlikeaphosphorescentstreakinthewaterstraightoutfromhisshoulders.TheyweremovingmoreslowlynowandtheglowofHavanawasnotsostrong,sothatheknewthecurrentmustbecarryingthemtotheeastward.IfIlosetheglareofHavanawemustbegoingmoretotheeastward,hethought.Forifthefish』scourseheldtrueImustseeitformanymorehours.Iwonderhowthebaseballcameoutinthegrandleaguestoday,hethought.Itwouldbewonderfultodothiswitharadio.Thenhethought,thinkofitalways.Thinkofwhatyouaredoing.Youmustdonothingstupid.

    Thenhesaidaloud,「IwishIhadtheboy.Tohelpmeandtoseethis.」

    Nooneshouldbealoneintheiroldage,hethought.Butitisunavoidable.Imustremembertoeatthetunabeforehespoilsinordertokeepstrong.Remember,nomatterhowlittleyouwantto,thatyoumusteathiminthemorning.Remember,hesaidtohimself.

    Duringthenighttwoporpoisescamearoundtheboatandhecouldhearthemrollingandblowing.Hecouldtellthedifferencebetweentheblowingnoisethemalemadeandthesighingblowofthefemale.

    「Theyaregood,」hesaid.「Theyplayandmakejokesandloveoneanother.Theyareourbrothersliketheflyingfish.」

    Thenhebegantopitythegreatfishthathehadhooked.Heiswonderfulandstrangeandwhoknowshowoldheis,hethought.NeverhaveIhadsuchastrongfishnoronewhoactedsostrangely.Perhapsheistoowisetojump.Hecouldruinmebyjumpingorbyawildrush.Butperhapshehasbeenhookedmanytimesbeforeandheknowsthatthisishowheshouldmakehisfight.Hecannotknowthatitisonlyonemanagainsthim,northatitisanoldman.Butwhatagreatfishheisandwhatwillhebringinthemarketifthefleshisgood.Hetookthebaitlikeamaleandhepullslikeamaleandhisfighthasnopanicinit.IwonderifhehasanyplansorifheisjustasdesperateasIam?

    Herememberedthetimehehadhookedoneofapairofmarlin.Themalefishalwaysletthefemalefishfeedfirstandthehookedfish,thefemale,madeawild,panic-stricken,despairingfightthatsoonexhaustedher,andallthetimethemalehadstayedwithher,crossingthelineandcirclingwithheronthesurface.Hehadstayedsoclosethattheoldmanwasafraidhewouldcutthelinewithhistailwhichwassharpasascytheandalmostofthatsizeandshape.Whentheoldmanhadgaffedherandclubbedher,holdingtherapierbillwithitssandpaperedgeanddubbingheracrossthetopofherheaduntilhercolourturnedtoacolouralmostlikethebackingofmirrors,andthen,withtheboy』said,hoistedheraboard,themalefishhadstayedbythesideoftheboat.Then,whiletheoldmanwasclearingthelinesandpreparingtheharpoon,themalefishjumpedhighintotheairbesidetheboattoseewherethefemalewasandthenwentdowndeep,hislavenderwings,thatwerehispectoralfins,spreadwideandallhiswidelavenderstripesshowing.Hewasbeautiful,theoldmanremembered,andhehadstayed.

    ThatwasthesaddestthingIeversawwiththem,theoldmanthought.Theboywassadtooandwebeggedherpardonandbutcheredherpromptly.

    「Iwishtheboywashere,」hesaidaloudandsettledhimselfagainsttheroundedplanksofthebowandfeltthestrengthofthegreatfishthroughthelineheheldacrosshisshouldersmovingsteadilytowardwhateverhehadchosen.

    Whenonce,throughmytreachery,ithadbeennecessarytohimtomakeachoice,theoldmanthought.

    Hischoicehadbeentostayinthedeepdarkwaterfaroutbeyondallsnaresandtrapsandtreacheries.Mychoicewastogotheretofindhimbeyondallpeople.Beyondallpeopleintheworld.Nowwearejoinedtogetherandhavebeensincenoon.Andnoonetohelpeitheroneofus.

    PerhapsIshouldnothavebeenafisherman,hethought.ButthatwasthethingthatIwasbornfor.Imustsurelyremembertoeatthetunaafteritgetslight.